9:00 – 10:00 AM Biology, Diversity and Conservation of Native Bees in the Northeast - Joan Milam, UMass Dept. of Environmental Conservation Pollinators are key elements of native biodiversity, and bees in particular provide important ecosystem services in terms of pollination for native plants that support plant and wildlife diversity. Not only are bees important pollinators of natural systems, they are responsible for the pollination of the fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in the United States. This talk will cover bee basics: what makes a bee a bee, the great diversity of bee species, and what we can do to help conserve native bees.

10:00 – 10:45 AM The Natural History and Ecology of Honey bees in Our Landscapes - Dr. Frank Drummond, School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine Honey bees are amazing animals. They are one of the few insects that have been domesticated by humans, but they still remain somewhat wild. This talk discusses the first introductions of honey bees to the New World, their importance to the Early Europeans and their place in the ecology of the New World. Dr. Drummond will then take a very quick look at the history of honey bees in the U.S. up to the 1960s and then how changes occurred through the present that have determined the current honey bee status and health.

10:45 – 11:00 AM Break

11:00 – 11:45 AM How Healthy are the Bees? - Dr. Frank Drummond, School of Biology and Ecology, University of Maine We have all heard about CCD, colony collapse, bee decline, a new silent spring...so, the question is how is the honey bee doing AND also the hundreds of species that are referred to as native bees? Dr. Drummond will discuss bee health...what is meant by "health"...what do scientists know about bee "health" and what is the global picture that is beginning to form about bee health. Dr. Drummond will attempt to provide background knowledge for better understanding several of the other talks in this conference about what we can DO about bee declines.

11:45 – 1:00 Lunch

1:00 – 2:00 Designing Pollinator Support Plantings: Think Like a Bee - Dr. Lois Berg Stack, University of Maine, Northern New England Pollinator Habitat Working Group Lois will help us to think like a bee when designing pollinator support plantings. Effective pollinator support plantings provide flower resources, nest sites and water. Good site assessment allows for the selection of plants that complement existing resources, and good process can produce an effective long-term resource that requires limited maintenance.

2:00 – 2:10 Break

2:10 – 3:00 PM Neonicotinoids in Agriculture and Landscapes: Do They Harm Honey Bees or Native Bees? - Dr. Kim Stoner, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station For 10 years, controversy has been swirling around the possible effects of neonicotinoids on bees. Dr. Stoner will talk about what we have learned and what we still don’t know about routes by which bees could be exposed to these systemic insecticides and how bee health may be affected.

3:00 – 4:00 PM Creating a Bee-friendly Landscape: Protecting Bees from Pesticide Exposure - Dr. Anne Averill, Department of Environmental Conservation, UMass In addition to the neonicotinoids, what are the different classes of pesticides, what are their risks to pollinators, how do they interact with other stressors, and how can pollinators be protected from exposure? Guidelines on how to best manage pests while reducing the hazard to bees will be covered. She will conclude with a broad look of how national and international programs address pollinator health and safety.

Too often, a gardener’s response to insect pests or diseases is eradication, when all that’s really necessary is a little patience. Native plant gardens contribute to local ecosystems in myriad ways, but we limit their value when we apply pesticides. Learn how the horticulturists at Garden in the Woods use organic practices to manage plant health care in the Garden and how you can do the same at home.

Based on his 2008 ISA published book, Up By Roots, James Urban, FASLA, will present a field workshop that covers the critical interrelationships between trees and soils. Topic will include basic soil properties; urban soils issues; the tools to analyze soil; how to undertake an urban soils evaluation; and a station on current nursery stock problems. Mr. Urban along with noted local experts will present at hands out doors stations, encouraging participants to touch and experience soil and trees

Come learn to identify trees and shrubs in the winter season! The first part of this course will be indoors, focusing on botanical terminology, plant morphology, biology, and ecology. The second section will be held outdoors with the goal of identifying plants in the field. This workshop can serve as an excellent introduction for the March 27th Invasive Plant Identification course.

Bring a hand lens if you have one, as well as a notebook and pencil.Please dress appropriately for weather.

PLEASE NOTE - THE AFTERNOON WORKSHOP IS FULL. HOWEVER, THERE ARE STILL SEATS AVAILABLE FOR THE MORNING LECTURE, WHICH WILL EARN 1.5 AOLCP CREDITS

Housatonic Valley RHS 246 Warren TurnpikeFalls Village, CT

Saturday, March 14, 2015 (Snow day, Sunday, March 15, 2015)

9:30am to 3:00pm

Must native plants and natural landscape techniques conflict with traditional plantings and formal landscape styles? Join well known landscape designer Larry Weaner as he demonstrates how the art and science of natural landscape design can be gracefully integrated with formal landscape traditions.

Whether you are interested in healthy, novel, or unusual foods—or are simply interested in applying botany to your everyday life—this class will enhance your knowledge of native edibles and herbals. From cucumber root to Oswego tea, wild edibles and medicinal plants are everywhere. In this program, students will learn how to recognize and utilize them. Dan Jaffe and Anna Fialkoff will address safe and sustainable best practices as they explore common, rare, and threatened species for forage and cultivation.

9:15 – 10:15 AM IPM System for Turf in the Landscape - Mary Owen, UMass Extension Careful attention to cultural practices as well as pest potential is critical to the successful implementation of an integrated management system for commercial and residential turf. This session will cover the use of key cultural practices including grass species selection, mowing, irrigation, aeration and fertility as the basis of IPM, with attention to how those practices influence populations of damaging insects and diseases as well as weed infestations.

10:15 – 10:30 AM Break

10:30-11:00 PM Pruning Ornamental Trees and Shrubs - Geoffrey Njue, UMass Extension Pruning is the most common cultural practice performed on trees. It is also probably the practice that can do the most harm if performed incorrectly. Learn when to prune and how to apply proper pruning methods for trees and shrubs

11:00 – 12:00 AM Trouble Shooting Problems of Annuals and Perennials in the Landscape - Tina Smith, UMass Extension Insect pests, diseases and cultural practices can have a serious impact on the health and attractiveness of annuals and perennials in the landscape. The presentation will provide a review of problems caused by insects, diseases and cultural practices of annuals and herbaceous perennials in landscapes. Learn to recognize signs and symptoms, tips for diagnosis, problem prevention and management strategies.

12:00 – 12:45 PM Lunch

12:45 – 1:45 PM Early Season Weed Management in the Landscape - Randall Prostak, UMass Extension Weeds compete with landscape plants for moisture, nutrients and sunlight and can have a negative impact on the attractiveness of the landscape. This presentation will focus on items associated with landscape weed management that one should be thinking about as we begin a new growing season. A brief review of new and overlooked products will be included.

1:45 – 2:00 PM Break

2:00 – 3:00 PM Disease and Insect Pest Forecast for Woody Ornamentals - Nick Brazee, UMass Extension Diseases and insect pests can have a serious impact on the health of woody ornamentals. This session will provide a projected forecast for the 2015 season disease and insect pest problems of woody ornamentals. Discussion will include illustrations of symptoms and suitable management approaches to use in landscapes and nurseries.